Dear New Yorker,
Our fight to protect NYC from inadequate hydrofracking regulation continues.
This past month, the NYC Council passed Reso. 1206 in support of NYS Attorney General Schneiderman's lawsuit against the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC), which challenges DRBC's proposed regulations allowing hydraulic fracturing and water withdrawal in the Delaware River Basin.
The Delaware River is a critical water source for over 15 million people. Hydrofracking in the Basin could worsen the air quality in the NYC area and damage our recreational opportunities in the Upper Delaware River.
The DRBC's issuance of proposed regulations without undertaking environmental review or issuing an environmental impact statement ignores the strong concerns expressed by the US Environmental Protection Agency, the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), the NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), and the NYC Council.
Help take a stand against gas drilling regulations issued without any environmental review.
Click here to let the DRBC know where you stand on this important issue.
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In other news, this Friday, February 17th, the NYC Council's Environmental Protection Committee will be holding a public oversight hearing on DEP's comments to DEC regarding the possible risks of natural gas production in the NYC watershed.
The hearing is scheduled to begin at 1 pm in the 16th Floor Committee Room at 250 Broadway in Lower Manhattan.
If you would like to testify, please be sure to register with the sergeant-of-arms on the 16th Floor prior to the start of the hearing. You can also email your written remarks to us at speakerquinn@council.nyc.gov , and we'll be sure to forward them to the Committee's staff.
Thanks in advance for weighing in on these important issues. If you have any questions about Reso. 1206 and/or the hearing this Friday, please don't hesitate to contact Samara Swanston at sswanston@council.nyc.gov or Dan Avery at davery@council.nyc.gov .
Sincerely,
Christine C. Quinn
Speaker
NYC Council
James F. Gennaro
Chair, Environmental Protection Committee
Lead Sponsor, Reso. 1206
NYC Council